John Schaefer Talks to Patti Smith about New 'Banga' Album

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Recommended Links

Patti Smith’s latest album, Banga, is her first since winning the 2010 National Book Award for her acclaimed memoir, Just Kids. Now, reaching out to a far larger potential audience than any she’s had before, the original High Priestess of Punk returns with an album that’s full of poetic invention, allusions to explorers and journeys both literal and metaphysical, and a surprising amount of pop culture references.

One song mixes The Hunger Games with the 12th-century poetry of Rumi. Another was written as a birthday present for Johnny Depp. Two beautiful and heartfelt elegies mourn the passing of singer Amy Winehouse and actress Maria Schneider (Last Tango in Paris).

The album's title, Banga, comes from Pontius Pilate’s faithful dog in Mikhail Bulgakov’s classic satirical novel The Master and Margarita. The song “Banga” is an affectionate tribute to Patti Smith’s faithful band: guitarist Lenny Kaye, who’s been playing with her for 40 years; drummer Jay Dee Daugherty – the only drummer she’s ever had; and bassist Tony Shanahan, who’s been with her since the mid-'90s. It’s tempting to say they’re like family – except that her actual family is here too: Smith’s son, Jackson, and daughter, Jesse, also contribute to the songs.

The album picks up steam as it moves along, culminating in an epic improvisation called “Constantine’s Dream” -- which would leave us in a pretty dark place. So Patti Smith decided to end the album with a version of Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush,” sung with a motley assortment of friends’ kids. It’s a gentle coda; a moment of innocence and hope.

Tags:

More in:

John Schaefer has hosted Soundcheck since the show’s inception in 2002. He has also hosted and produced WNYC’s radio series New Sounds since 1982 (“The No. 1 radio show for the Global Village” – Billboard) and the New Sounds Live concert series since 1986.

Patti Smith is a success and I am a huge fan of hers. As composer, singer, drawer, painter, writer and photographer, she is altogether inspired and admirable. Only the artists from the Renaissance had had such ability in conciliating such various gifts.

When Just Kids was just launched I was spending my vacations in USA. So I started reading the book in Boston, and, afterwards, continued reading in Providence, RI. In Cambridge, I was still reading the book and I bought her record Twelve.

When "Just Kids" was launched in Portuguese, under the title “Só Garotos”, I bought it and I read it again, with great pleasure. This time, I was at my house, in Brazil.

Now WQXR, which is recorded as favorite in my browser, gives me this chance to listen to Patti Smith talking at so peaceful serenity.

As movies also interests me a lot, I like specially to listen to Smith's narratives about Maria Schneider and Katniss Evergreen, about whose character I totally agree with the interviewed.

Categories

Feeds

WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820 are New York's flagship public radio
stations, broadcasting the finest programs from NPR, PRI and American Public Media, as well as a wide range of award-winning local
programming. WNYC is a division of
New York Public Radio.